Frugal Luxuries® by Tracey McBride Est. 1993

SIMPLY SO

"...all the loveliest things there be come simply so."

--Edna St. Vincent Millary

---------------------------

The following is an excerpt from Frugal Luxuries, Bantam Books, NY, 1997
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SIMPLICITY
“And there is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness and truth.”
—Leo Tolstoy

Simplicity is the kind of word that soothes. Why? Simplicity is a desired state. Most of us want life to become less complicated than it is, and we think simplifying our lives will bring us happiness. Yet true simplicity is much more than a trend or a swing of fashion. True simplicity is eliminating both material and intangible excess, and conserving time, energy, money, and thoughts. It is using the resources you possess in a way that will take you toward your dreams, your goals—your desired future.

GENUINE SIMPLICITY will help you become the person you long to be.

There are varying stages of simplicity. When I speak of simplifying, I am not advocating the adoption of austerity. Individuals must dictate their own measures of luxury and simplicity. Strike a balance in your life that will leave you free to perform the tasks that will allow you to realize your personal vision of happiness—be it farming an acre of land, creating a multimillion-dollar conglomerate, or simply staying home to nurture the children you have brought into this world.

The hallmarks of simplicity are not found in the lack of things, nor are they found in the possession of them. Simplicity is a thought process—a love of the unpretentious, easy, and informal. It displays itself through attitude, personal style, and appreciation of the (tangible and intangible) world around us.

Simplicity may be either elegant or austere. On one end of the spectrum you will find those who choose a monastic lifestyle, keeping the appropriation of money and possessions to a conscious minimum. On the other end you will encounter those of us who embellish our lives by cultivating frugal luxuries.